Alex Blackwell (cricketer) - 2010 World Twenty20 Triumph

2010 World Twenty20 Triumph

Blackwell led the team at the 2010 World Twenty20 in the West Indies and captained in every match after Fields was again forced out by injury. She batted at No. 4 in all but one match. In the first warm-up match against New Zealand, she opened the bowling with her occasional medium pace, and took 1/29 from her four overs, dismissing the opposing captain and opener Aimee Watkins. She then came in at No. 4 and top-scored with 44 from as many balls as Australia lost by 18 runs. In the last warm-up match, she made 35 not out from 21 balls and featured in a 55-run partnership from 40 balls with Jess Cameron. She did not bowl herself as the Australians defeated Pakistan by 82 runs.

Australia were grouped with defending champions England, South Africa and the West Indies. In the first match against England, Blackwell ran out Holly Colvin to end the innings with 15 balls unused. In pursuit of 105 for victory, Australia were 2/10 when Blackwell came to the crease. She made 7 from 14 balls in a partnership of 34 from 33 balls—Australia's largest of the match—with Leah Poulton. However, their dismissals in consecutive overs started a collapse of 5/19 from 34 balls. However, Australia recovered, and Rene Farrell was run out going for the winning run from the third last ball available, leaving the scores tied.

A Super Over eventuated, and both teams ended with 2/6 after both suffered run outs in an attempt to secure a seventh run on the final ball. Australia was awarded the match because they had hit more sixes in the match—Jess Cameron scored the solitary six.

In the next match against South Africa, Blackwell made 9 from 14 balls, the only Australian in the first seven batting positions to score at less than a strike rate of 133.33. A sudden collapse saw Australia lose 6/16 including the last four wickets for four runs to be all out for 155 with three balls unused. They eventually completed a 22-run win. In the final group match, Blackwell top-scored with 28 from 26 balls, and batted through most of the innings, although she only faced a small minority of the 74 balls delivered during her time at the crease, as Australia finished on 7/133. She had put on 22 runs in 16 balls with Sthalekar. She caught Shanel Daley from the bowling of Sthalekar as Australia won by nine runs to finish the group stage unbeaten at the top of their quartet.

Australia went on to face India in the semi-final. Blackwell ran out opposing captain and all rounder Jhulan Goswami, one of three wickets to fall in the 17th over bowled by Ellyse Perry. Australia were set a target of 120, and Blackwell promoted herself to No. 3 after opener Elyse Villani fell for a duck in the first over. Blackwell and Nitschke counter-attacked, and scored the next 50 runs in 40 balls, before Nitschke was out to end a stand of 74 runs in 60 balls. Blackwell reached her fifty in 37 balls and was eventually out for 61 from 49 balls with 17 runs still required from 28 balls for victory. The Australians reached their target with seven wickets and seven balls to spare, and Blackwell was named the player of the match.

In the final against New Zealand, Blackwell elected to bat, but New Zealand started more effectively. Nitschke and Villani were out in consecutive overs and Blackwell came in at 2/14 in the fourth over. After being unable to score from her first six balls, Blackwell was then dismissed for a duck from her seventh delivery, cutting Nicola Browne into the hands of Sophie Devine in the gully, leaving the score at 3/20 in the sixth over. The Australians eventually reached 8/106 from their 20 overs.

New Zealand started their chase solidly, but in the fourth over, the tide began to turn when but their captain Aimee Watkins pulled Clea Smith and the catch was taken by a leaping Blackwell at midwicket. In the next over Blackwell ran out Sara McGlashan for 1, after the latter had been in a mix-up with Suzie Bates, leaving New Zealand at 2/19. Later, Blackwell caught Rachel Priest from Nitschke to leave New Zealand at 5/36 after 11 overs, leaving them with 71 runs to score from the last 54 balls. Australia went on to win by three runs.